John Dower, Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of World War II

This was from a few months ago, but a very important book on post-WWII developments in Japan.  I most enjoyed the bits about the black markets that developed in Japanese cities following the war, and Japanese society's disillusionment with the ultra-conservative, moralistic themes of the war-time regime.  Another interesting bit concerned the blatant bias and showy atmosphere of the American-dominated Military Tribunal.